ECO-FRIENDLY TECHNOLOGY

What is eco-friendly technology? Also known as clean tech, green

tech and environmental tech, eco-friendly technology can help
preserve the environment through energy efficiency and reduction of
harmful waste. Green tech innovators use the latest environmental
science and green chemistry to reduce the harmful impact of human
activity on the earth.

Eco-Friendly Innovations

Green technology is still in the earliest stages of development, but

many exciting innovations have already been made in areas like
renewable energy, water purification and waste management, as well
as in everyday consumer products like electronics and vehicles. It can
be as small as a hand-held gadget or as expansive as a new method of
filtering greenhouse gases out of the atmosphere.

Eco-friendly technology often involves some of the following:

 Recycled, recyclable and/or biodegradable content

 Plant-based materials

 Reduction of polluting substances

 Reduction of greenhouse gas emissions

 Renewable energy
  Energy-efficiency

 Multi-functionality

 Low-impact manufacturing

By September 2011, some gadgets will get even greener thanks

to new standards for Energy Star labels. The U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA) will require televisions, cable boxes and
satellite boxes to be 40 percent more efficient than conventional
models in order to win the label.

Corporations Embracing Green Technology

Major companies like Dell and Google are taking notable steps
forward with eco-friendly technology in projects ranging from plant-
based packaging to vast wind farms.

Google has announced that it will invest $100 million in the

Shepherd's Flat wind project in Oregon, which will supply an average
of 235,000 homes once it's fully operational in 2012. The tech-driven
company is particularly interested in the project because it will be the
first to use direct-drive turbines supplied by GE.

But wind power isn't the only renewable energy Google has its eye
on; the company announced in early April 2011 that it will invest
$168 million in a utility-scale power plant in the California desert,
and also bought a 49-percent stake in a photovoltaic farm in
Germany. Such investments could help the tech giant power its own
energy-hungry operations more sustainably. Google currently has a
1.6 megawatt solar installation of its own at its Mountain View,
California headquarters.

Dell is bringing its latest eco-friendly technology closer to home –

specifically, the homes of customers ordering the company's
computers. Dell has announced a new sustainable packing
strategy that will use mushrooms to create product cushioning for
shipment. Grown rather than manufactured, the mushroom-based
packaging is produced when agricultural waste products like cotton
hulls are pressed into molds and then inoculated with mushroom
spawn. Within five to ten days, the resulting packaging is ready to
use. Mushroom-based packaging is biodegradable, making it a far
greener option than commonly used styrofoam and polyethylene.

Eco-friendly technology innovations such as these will continue have

a tremendous impact on the tech industry, especially when
implemented by companies with a large influence on consumers.

Eco-friendly technologies to fight climate change

Rainwater Tanks Direct to the Plumbing

The water supply that reaches most businesses may be steady, safe,
and clean, but they also cost much due to the amount of energy that is
required to move water from source to processing facility, and from
the processing plant to the millions of homes that need it. The energy
used in the processing and distribution phases also comes from
fossil fuels and other less-than-ideal sources, and therefore, using
mains water isn’t exactly eco-friendly.

Enter harvested rainwater, rain directed to a rainwater tank by means

of a catchment area and a number of pipes. Since rain, in itself, is
clean, it should not take much to purify it once more of dirt particles,
bacteria, and viruses; you only need to have a number of filters set
up in the pipes where the rain goes down, and you should have
water that can be used for a number of chores. Many of the filters you
need in your system do not require energy to run, so it’s safe to say
that with a rainwater harvesting system, you get water that’s safe to
use without all the wasted energy.

Greywater Recycling Technology

These technologies, which are best set up together with a rainwater

harvesting system, allows one to reuse water that was just used for
another chore. The water that can be reused by this type of system
can be rainwater or main water.

Solar and Wind Harvesting Technologies

The fact that Earth Hour participants are required to switch off all
their home appliances and lights for one hour is proof that the
electrical power we use comes from less-than-ideal sources harmful
to the environment. Good thing a number of multinational
companies these days have made, or are transitioning, to solar and
wind harvesting tech. After all, solar power and wind are renewable,
clean sources of energy.

 LED and CFL Lighting

LED and CFL bulbs are better than older bulbs in three ways. They
are brighter, require lesser energy to function, and last longer.

Biodegradable Plastic

While not exactly new technology, just like the above, many
companies are still struggling with making the switch to this type of
plastic (if they just couldn’t abandon its use altogether). This is
despite the fact that it’s a lot safer for the environment since it does
break down in time.

Non-electric or Low-Power Exercise Equipment

These days, a lot of energy is required to power the big city gyms, and
as mentioned above, this energy used is sourced from not-so-good
sources that are harmful to the environment. Fortunately, this
engineering challenge can be solved by using non-electric versions of
certain exercise equipment, along with low-power versions best for
those who want to know how well they’re doing in certain aspects of
that day’s workout session. With this equipment, gyms can save
money on energy, and at the same time, help save the environment.